US3600848A

US3600848A - Talking toy vehicle

Info

Publication number: US3600848A
Application number: US848661A
Authority: US
Inventors: James E Marshall; Anson Sims
Original assignee: Mattel Inc
Current assignee: Mattel Inc
Priority date: 1969-08-08
Filing date: 1969-08-08
Publication date: 1971-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-24
Also published as: DE7007751U; DE2009944A1; FR2057646A5; GB1263865A

Abstract

A toy vehicle which moves forward along a drawstring toward a stationary pull ring as the phonograph plays, comprising a spring-powered phonograph within the vehicle that is wound by pulling out the drawstring. The drawstring retracts into the phonograph as a record is played, so the phonograph acts like a winch to move it along the drawstring. The phonograph includes a tone arm with a needle for playing the record, and a separate lift arm that lifts the tone arm and needle from the record and carries them to the periphery of the record as the drawstring is pulled.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventors JamesE.Ma1shall Westminster; Anson Sims, Redondo Beach, both of, Calif. [2]] Appl. No 848,661 [22] Filed Aug. 8, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 24, 1971 [73] Assignee Mattel, Inc.

Hawthorne, Calif.

[54] TALKING TOY VEHICLE Primary Examiner- Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-A. J. Heinz Attorney-Seymour A. Scholnick ABSTRACT: A toy vehicle which moves forward along a drawstring toward a stationary pull ring as the phonograph plays, comprising a spring-powered phonograph within the vehicle that is wound by pulling out the drawstring. The drawstring retracts into the phonograph as a record is played, so the phonograph acts like a winch to move it along the drawstring. The phonograph includes a tone arm with a needle for playing the record, and a separate lift arm that lifts the tone arm and needle from the record and carries them to the periphery of the record as the drawstring is pulled.

TALKING TOY VEHICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to phonograph toys, and more particularly, to a novel toy vehicle that is moved by a phonograph mechanism therein.

2. Description of the Prior Art The entertainment value of many toys can be enhanced by constructing them to perform additional functions when operated in the same simple manner by which they previously performed only one function. One type of toy which would be more entertaining if it performed additional functions, is a vehicle of a type which has a drawstring that can be pulled out, so that when the vehicle is released it moves along the string toward the childs stationary hand. The vehicle could be more interesting if it could be made to perform additional entertaining functions without requiring operation other than pulling out the string OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a toy vehicle which can be operated in a simple manner to move and talk.

Another object is to provide an economical and entertaining toy vehicle.

In accordance with the present invention, a toy vehicle is provided which contains a spring-operated phonograph which plays as the vehicle moves forward. The phonograph is wound by holding the vehicle and pulling the drawstring away from the front of the vehicle. When the vehicle is then released, the phonograph plays as the vehicle moves forward along the drawstring to draw the string into the vehicle.

In one embodiment of the invention, the phonograph includes a tone arm with a needle, or stylus, that engages a spiral groove in a record. A separate lift arm is included which lifts the tone arm and carries it to the outer edge of the record as the drawstring is pulled out. The separate lift arm isolates the tone arm from the drawstring, so that drawstring tension, which is present as the vehicle is pulled forward along the string, does not tend to lift the tone arm from the record.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.

The invention will best be understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy vehicle constructed in accordance with the invention, showing its manner of operatron;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the toy vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the phonograph mechanism of the toy vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of the phonograph mechanism of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a toy vehicle constructed in accordance with the invention, including a vehicle frame 12 with four wheels 14, the frame representing a steam locomotive. A phonograph within the vehicle fame is wound by pulling a drawstring 16 away from the front of the vehicle. This can be accomplished by a child who grasps a pull ring 18 in one hand H while holding the vehicle frame in his other hand. so that the pull ring can be drawn away from the front of the vehicle. With the drawstring pulled out, the child places the vehicle on a table top or on the ground, and releases the vehicle while holding the pull ring 18 stationary. The vehicle 10 then slowly moves along the drawstring 16 toward the pull ring, while a phonograph within the vehicle plays a sound recording.

As shown in FIGS. 2-5, a phonograph 20 is mounted within the vehicle frame, the phonograph having a housing 22 mounted on a lower portion 24 of the vehicle. The phonograph includes a turntable 25 with a disc-shaped record 26 that is rotated by a spring motor 28. The motor is wound by pulling on the drawstring 16, most of the string being initially wound on a drum 32 of the turntable. When the drawstring 16 is pulled, it rotates the turntable in a reverse direction opposite to a forward-indicating arrow F, while the string unwinds from the drum 32. During such reverse rotation of the turntable, the spring 28 unwinds from a spool 34 and is wound onto a spring barrel 36 on the turntable. When the drawstring is released, the spring turns the turntable in the forward direction indicated by arrow F, while the drawstring 16 is rewound on the string drum 32 of the turntable.

The record 26 has a spiral groove that extends from a peripheral portion 38 of the record to a radially inner portion 40 of the record. The record is played by pickup means including a tone arm 42 which has a needle or stylus 44 that can engage the record groove. The tone arm 42 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 46 that is fastened to the phonograph housing, so that the stylus can move radially across the record. The stylus 44 first moves radially out while held above the level of the record, until it reaches a position near the periphery 38. The stylus must then fall into the spiral groove and follow along it as the record rotates, until the stylus reaches the end of the groove near the inner portion 40 of the record. The vibrations picked up by the stylus as it moves along the record groove are transmitted through a speaker armature 48 to a speaker cone 50 that acoustically amplifies the sound so that it is of substantial volume and can be easily heard.

The speaker armature 48 is spring biased toward the tone arm, so that it urges the stylus 44 into the record groove. Thus, as the spring rotates the record, the stylus moves slowly, radially inwardly along the spiral record groove. When the pull ring 18 is pulled to wind the spring, the tone arm 42 must be lifted while moved radially outward to the periphery of the record, and must then be allowed to move down into the record groove. Such movement of the tone arm is accomplished by a lift arm 52 that is pivotally mounted on the same shaft 46 on which the tone arm is mounted.

The lift arm 52 has'an outer end 54 with an aperture 56 therein through which the drawstring 16 extends. The drawstring also extends through a first guide 58 that is located above the level of the record, and a second guide 60 that leads the string from the first guide to a location where it can be easily pulled away from the vehicle. As the drawstring I6 is pulled during winding of the phonograph, friction between the string and the walls of the lift arm aperture 56 tends to move the lift arm along with the string. The outer end 54 of the lift arm therefore tends to move radially out toward the peripheral portion 38 of the record. In addition to moving the lift arm radially outwardly, the drawstring tends to lift the lift arm away from the record. This lifting is due to the fact that the drawstring 16 extends upwardly toward the first guide 58, so that when the string is taut, the outer end of the lift arm tends to move up an incline as it moves toward the first guide 58.

As the lift arm 52 is moved upwardly and outwardly during pulling of the drawstring, it engages the tone arm 42 to also move it up and out. The lift arm has a lug 62 that engages an outer portion 64 of the tone arm to hold it up and carry it radially out. As shown in FIG. 5, the lug 62 has a surface 628 which is angled to face upwardly and outwardly, and it is adapted to contact an inclined surface 645 on the outer end of the tone arm which faces downwardly and radially inwardly. These orientations of the lug 62 and outer end of the tone arm 64 allow the lift arm to carry the tone arm up and out. When the tone arm reaches the periphery 38 of the record, it is stopped by a cam 66. The record generally carries several parallel spiral grooves, and the cam determines which of the grooves will be engaged by the stylus when it moves down against the record. In the case of a record with only a single record groove, a simple post can be used to stop the tone arm instead of the cam 66.

When the drawstring 16 has been pulled out all the way and the vehicle is released, the drawstring can begin to be rewound on the turntable drum 32 as the spring 28 rotates the turntable in the forward direction. As the drawstring moves inwardly for rewinding on the turntable drum, friction between the string and the walls of the lift arm aperture 56 causes the string to pull the lift arm radially inwardly. The tone arm 42 does not move inwardly with the lift arm. Instead, the outer end 64 of the tone arm slips off the lift arm lug 62, and the stylus is pushed down by the spring loaded speaker armature 48 until the stylus engages a record groove near the periphery 38 of the record. Inasmuch as the lift arm moves inwardly without the tone arm, the tone arm is not urged radially inwardly by the inward movement of the drawstring, and is not held above the record by the tension in the drawstring. Thus, the lift arm is coupled to the tone arm to move it up and out, but is uncoupled from the tone arm as the lift arm moves inwardly during vehicle movement and record playing. In order to facilitate vehicle movement along the string, the second guide 60 is located near the bottom of the vehicle and is oriented so that the string leaves the guide 60 in a generally forward direction. The vehicle moves at a moderate speed along the drawstring, and in a stable manner.

Thus, the invention provides a simple toy vehicle and phonograph mechanism, wherein a single spring motor is used to operate the phonograph and move the vehicle along the string. The toy is not only of simple construction, but both the vehicle-moving and phongraph-playing functions are controlled in a simple manner, by merely pulling on a string.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.

What is claim is:

l. A toy sound-producing vehicle which moves toward a child who holds the end of a drawstring as a phonograph thereon plays, comprising:

- a toy vehicle frame having a forward end and a rear end and freely rotatable wheels for supporting said vehicle on a surface; and

a phonograph mounted on said frame, said phonograph including a record, pickup means for playing said record, a spring motor for moving said record relative to said pickup .means, a drawstring extending forwardly from said forward end, and means for coupling said drawstring to said motor to wind said motor as said drawstring is pulled forwardly out of said frame and to draw in said drawstring as said motor unwinds, said drawstring having an outer end for grasping by a child so that the motor pulls the vehicle forwardly while simultaneously operating said phonograph; said pickup means comprising a movable tone arm, a separately movable lift arm means for engaging said tone arm to hold it away from said record, said lift'arm means having an aperture for receiving said drawstring, and guide means for positioning said drawstring in a path to urge said lift arm means away from said record when said drawstring is taut. 2. The toy sound-producing vehicle described in claim 1 wherein:

said record comprises a substantially spiral record groove;

and said pickup means comprises a tone arm with a stylus for engaging said record groove to follow it inwardly as said motor rotates said record, said lift arm including drawstring-engaging means for outward movement as said drawstring is pulled out and inward movement as said drawstring moves in, whereby to allow said lift arm to move said tone arm out as said drawstring is pulled out while allowing said tone arm to follow said spiral record roove inwardly. 3. lhe toy soun -producing vehicle described in claim 2 wherein:

said tone-arm-engaging means on said lift arm includes means defining a surface which faces radially outwardly and away from said record, said surface positioned to contact said tone arm as said lift arm moves out.

4. The toy described in claim 1 wherein:

said phonograph includes a turntable coupled to said spring motor, said record being on said turntable and having a spiral record groove, with a radially outward beginning portion, a tone arm with a stylus for engaging said groove, and tone-arm-engaging means coupled to said drawstring for moving said tone arm radially outwardly toward the beginning of said record groove as said drawstring is pulled out from the front of said vehicle.

5. The toy described in claim 1 where:

said phonograph includes a turntable coupled to said spring motor, said record being on said turntable and having a spiral record groove, tone arm means including a stylus for engaging said record groove, and tone-arm-moving means for engaging said tone arm means to push it radially out, said moving means having an aperture for receiving said drawstring to allow said string to drag said moving means radially out and in as said drawstring moves out and in from said vehicle frame.

6. The toy described in claim 1 wherein:

said phonograph includes a turntable coupled to said spring means, said record being on said turntable and having a record with a spiral record groove and a string-receiving drum for receiving said drawstring as it is drawn into said vehicle frame, a tone arm pivotally mounted on said phonograph with a stylus for engaging said record groove to move radially inwardly along it as said record is turned by said motor means, a lift arm pivotally mounted on said phonograph with a tone-arm-engaing surface for pushing said tone arm outwardly and away'from said record and walls defining an aperture for receiving said drawstring to enable said drawstring to drag said lift arm outwardly and inwardly, and guide means for holding a portion of said drawstring which extends through said lift arm aperture in a path that urges said walls of said lift arm aperture away from said record when said drawstring is taut, whereby to enable said lift arm to move said tone arm outwardly while holding said stylus away from said record, as said drawstring is pulled.

Claims

1. A toy sound-producing vehicle which moves toward a child who holds the end of a drawstring as a phonograph thereon plays, comprising: a toy vehicle frame having a forward end and a rear end and freely rotatable wheels for supporting said vehicle on a surface; and a phonograph mounted on said frame, said phonograph including a record, pickup means for playing said record, a spring motor for moving said record relative to said pickup means, a drawstring extending forwardly from said forward end, and means for coupling said drawstring to said motor to wind said motor as said drawstring is pulled forwardly ouT of said frame and to draw in said drawstring as said motor unwinds, said drawstring having an outer end for grasping by a child so that the motor pulls the vehicle forwardly while simultaneously operating said phonograph; said pickup means comprising a movable tone arm, a separately movable lift arm means for engaging said tone arm to hold it away from said record, said lift arm means having an aperture for receiving said drawstring, and guide means for positioning said drawstring in a path to urge said lift arm means away from said record when said drawstring is taut.

2. The toy sound-producing vehicle described in claim 1 wherein: said record comprises a substantially spiral record groove; and said pickup means comprises a tone arm with a stylus for engaging said record groove to follow it inwardly as said motor rotates said record, said lift arm including drawstring-engaging means for outward movement as said drawstring is pulled out and inward movement as said drawstring moves in, whereby to allow said lift arm to move said tone arm out as said drawstring is pulled out while allowing said tone arm to follow said spiral record groove inwardly.

3. The toy sound-producing vehicle described in claim 2 wherein: said tone-arm-engaging means on said lift arm includes means defining a surface which faces radially outwardly and away from said record, said surface positioned to contact said tone arm as said lift arm moves out.

4. The toy described in claim 1 wherein: said phonograph includes a turntable coupled to said spring motor, said record being on said turntable and having a spiral record groove, with a radially outward beginning portion, a tone arm with a stylus for engaging said groove, and tone-arm-engaging means coupled to said drawstring for moving said tone arm radially outwardly toward the beginning of said record groove as said drawstring is pulled out from the front of said vehicle.

5. The toy described in claim 1 where: said phonograph includes a turntable coupled to said spring motor, said record being on said turntable and having a spiral record groove, tone arm means including a stylus for engaging said record groove, and tone-arm-moving means for engaging said tone arm means to push it radially out, said moving means having an aperture for receiving said drawstring to allow said string to drag said moving means radially out and in as said drawstring moves out and in from said vehicle frame.

6. The toy described in claim 1 wherein: said phonograph includes a turntable coupled to said spring means, said record being on said turntable and having a record with a spiral record groove and a string-receiving drum for receiving said drawstring as it is drawn into said vehicle frame, a tone arm pivotally mounted on said phonograph with a stylus for engaging said record groove to move radially inwardly along it as said record is turned by said motor means, a lift arm pivotally mounted on said phonograph with a tone-arm-engaing surface for pushing said tone arm outwardly and away from said record and walls defining an aperture for receiving said drawstring to enable said drawstring to drag said lift arm outwardly and inwardly, and guide means for holding a portion of said drawstring which extends through said lift arm aperture in a path that urges said walls of said lift arm aperture away from said record when said drawstring is taut, whereby to enable said lift arm to move said tone arm outwardly while holding said stylus away from said record, as said drawstring is pulled.